Refuge Resource Book

© Thubten Chodron. For free distribution; not to be sold (see below for additional use information). Special thanks to Dharma Friendship Foundation for compiling the original booklet.

About the book

When we take refuge, we trust our spiritual development to the guidance of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Whether it is done formally in a ceremony or in our hearts throughout the day, taking refuge serves always as the foundational step that points our lives in a positive direction and moves us along the path to discovering our inner, unlimited potential for awakening. This booklet was compiled as a resource to prepare for formally taking refuge and any or all of the five lay precepts. It may also serve as a valuable resource for renewing and deepening our refuge over time.

• Refuge Groups by Venerable Thubten Chodron
• Long Refuge and Precepts Ceremony
• Taking Refuge from the book Open Heart, Clear Mind by Venerable Thubten Chodron
• Refuge by Lama Thubten Yeshe
• Taking Refuge and the Meaning of the Three Jewels by Venerable Thubten Chodron
• Guidelines for the Practice of Refuge from Pearl of Wisdom, Book I, Sravasti Abbey
• Practical Guidelines for Good Living by Venerable Thubten Chodron
• Life Without Sila is Like a Car Without Brakes by Ajahn Amaro

• The Five Wonderful Precepts by Thich Nhat Hanh
  • The First Precept: Reverence for Life
  • The Second Precept: Generosity
  • The Third Precept: Sexual Responsibility
  • The Fourth Precept: Deep Listening and Loving Speech
  • The Fifth Precept: Diet for a Mindful Society

• The Healing Power of the Precepts by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
• Five Faultless Gifts and Five Blessings
• Refuge and Precept Discussion Questions
• Online Teaching Resources

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Copyright © 2018 by Sravasti Abbey. For free distribution. All rights reserved. For personal, noncommercial use only. This book may be printed or downloaded electronically, in whole or in part, for personal use by individuals or Buddhist groups. Permission is required to publish and distribute this book on any information storage and retrieval system, such as, but not limited to, a blog or website. To request permission to use this book in ways that are not expressly granted here, please contact publications(at)sravastiabbey(dot)org.

Articles in this book by authors other than Venerable Thubten Chodron have been used here with their kind permission. For rights and permissions associated with their material, please see the copyright information at the end of their respective article.